Belt clasp



Aug. 19 1924.

1,505,125 C. G. ARMSTRONG BELT CLAS P Filed Feb. 25 1924 Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFFORD G. ARMSTRONG, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE C. Gu ARM- STRONG MANUFACTURING COMLPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPOILA.

TION OF CONNECTICUT.

BELT CLASP.

Application filed February 25, 1924. Serial No. 694,895.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD G. ARM- sTRoNe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clasps or buckles l for belts for wearing apparel or the like.

The essential objects of my invention are convenience of operation, strength of grip and without indenting or injury to the strap, protection of the operating parts, and inexpensiveness of construction.`

To the above ends essentially my invention consists in such parts and in such combinations of' parts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt clasp in locked position including adjacent portions of the engaged strap or belt attached thereto,

Figure 2 is a section of the clasp on line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a like section of the same showing the end of the belt released,

Figure 4 is a rear perspective of the clasp, and

Figure 5 is a detail view of the clamping element.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views.

In the form of my invention herein shown the clasp 'includes a body 8 comprising an oblong longitudinally curved -front plate 9 with rearwardly directed lateral flanges 10 connected at one end by a flat integral cross bar 11 adapted to receive the looped end 12 of a belt or strap 13 whose free end 14 is adapted to be received in a guide loop 15 on the strap adjacent the loop after passing between the flanges and along the back face of the front plate 9. Fast to or integral with an intermediate portion of the flanges is a cross piece or housing plate 17. InterA mediate the member 17 and the plate 9 are perforations 18 in the flanges to receive a pintle or rod 19 upon which is loosely mounted a clamping member indicated generally by 21. In detail this comprises a semisleeve 23 provided at its ends with lugs 24 having holes 25 to loosely receive the pintle 19. The

sleeve 23 is provided at its rear edge with a rearwardly directed laterally inclined lug 27 adapted to act as an operating lever. Integral with the forward edge of the member 23 is a cam plate 28 comprising a portion 29 reversely inclined relatively to the lever 27, and an end portion 30. The cam has upon its operating face corrugations or series of teeth 31 adapted to engage the strap end 14. The lever 27 has an intermediate portion adjacent or in contact with one lateral edge of the housing plate 17 so that the free extremity of the former is exposed to afford accessibility. 'The element 28 is positioned to grip the strap.

A coil spring 33 around the center of the pintle 1,19 is contained in an arcuate slot 34 in the center of the semisleeve 23 extending in this instance, slightly into the lever 27. One end 36 of the spring presses against the housing plate 17 adjacent the edge opposite to that engaged by the lever' 27. The other end 37 of the spring presses against the free edge of the portion 30 of the member 28.

Then it is desired to insert, adjust, or release the belt end 14 the lever 27 is forwardly pressed by the operators thumb or finger 39, shown in broken lines in Figure 3, whereby the hook 28 is moved rearwardly out of engagement with the belt.

It will be observed that not only is the spring protected by its seat in the slotted sleeve 23 but the spring ends or arms as well as the whole clamping member are protected against interference or derangement by the housing plate 17. The latter also aords stop for the lever 27.

I claim 1. In a belt clasp or buckle, a front plate, lateral flanges on the plate, a pintle support ed by the flanges, a semisleeve mounted for oscillatory movement upon the pintle, an inclined operating lever integral with one edge of the sleeve, a cam integral with the opposite edge of the sleeve and adjacent the front plate, and a spring on the pintle engaging the cam.

2. In a belt clasp or buckle, a front plate, lateral flanges on the plate, a pintle supported by the flanges, an oscillatory semisleeve on the pint-le provided in an intermediate portion with a slot, an operating lever fast to one edge of the sleeve, a cam integral with the opposite edge of the sleeve adapted to cooperate with the front plate, and a spring lll) . on the pintle seated in the slotl and an erin on the 'springextendingthrough the slot and engaging the cani.

3. In a belt clasp or buckle7 a front plate,

5 lateral flanges on the plate', a transversely disposed housing plate connecting the rear edges of the flanges intermediate their length, a pintle supported by the flanges interinediate the front plate and the housing 10 plate, an oscillatory seinisleeve on the pintle provided with a slot, an oscillatory lever in-A` tegral withone edge of the sleeve extending `beyond the housing plate and` enga feeble therewith, u cani upon the opposite e ge of the sleeve, a spring on the pintle seated in the slot, an arin on the spring engaging the cani, and an arin on the spring engaging the housing plate.

Intestiinony whereof I have affixed my signature.

CLIFFORD G. ARMSTRONG. 

